Doyle Estate Says It's No Mystery, Sherlock Still Copyrighted

By Jonathan Randles

Law360, New York (September 11, 2013, 3:15 PM ET) -- The estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on Tuesday urged an Illinois judge to rule that the character of Sherlock Holmes will remain copyright protected until 2022 and reject an author's effort to make the famous detective free for anyone to use.

The estate is opposing a motion filed by author Leslie Klinger, who is seeking a court order declaring that Sherlock Holmes and his loyal assistant Dr. Watson are no longer copyright protected and have passed into the public domain. Klinger is attempting to publish...